Typewriting machine



J. E'. DOODY TYPEWRITING MACHINE Apr. 10, 1923.

\ Filed June 29, 1920 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOFU Patented Apr. 10, 1923.

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. DOODY, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application filed .Time 29, 1920. Serial No. 392,751.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jon E. Down, .a subject of the King of Great Britain, re-

siding in the city of Toronto, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is' a specification.

This invention relates to typewriting machines having split or divided platens, that is, platens composed of. two or more sections placed end to end. i

In some kinds of work it is necessary to write alternately on different work-sheets. which ordinarily involves frequent removal of one sheet and insertion ofanother, or a frequent shifting of theplaten backward and forward. These difliculties may be obviated by the use of divided platens of which different sections are independently revoluble, a mere shifting of the carriage being necessary to bring into position the sheet upon which it is desired to effect printing or writing.

One of the main objects of my invention is to so construct the platen-sections as to provide a rigid and firm support for their abutting ends, and at the same time to cause all of the burden of supporting the same to be borne by the platen axle at points adjacent the end frames in which the platen axle is journaled.

Another object of the invention is to provide, for the right-hand platen-section, an improved form'of line-spacing mechanism, simple in construction and readily applicable to a platen frame of the usual type.

In the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, the outer end of the right-hand section is supported for rotation about the platen axle near the right end of the platen frame, and the inner end of this section is provided with a sleeve or tubular shaft of suflicient size to encircle the platen axle without coming into contact therewith, and extending to a point near the left-hand-end of the platen frame where it is revolubly mounted upon the platen axle. The inner end of the right-hand section1s also provided with a circular flange, in which the tubular shaft is fixed, and on which the inner end ofthe left-hand section is supported. At its outer end, the left-hand section may be fixedly secured to the platen axle.

It will be seen that due to the,support of the inner head of the right-hand section by means of the tubular shaft and the support of the inner head of the left-hand platensection on the inner head of the right-hand section, it will be necessary to provide means for fastening the-inner head of the righthand sectionsecurely in position thereon. To this end tie-rods, preferably three in number, are inserted in openings in the outer head and in the usual tubular core, and are screwed into openings in the inner head, thus holding both heads firmly in position.

At the right-hand of the platen frameprovision may be made of a line-space lever Underwood type; a spring being attached at one end to the bracket, and at the other to the line-space lever to urge the latter to normal position. Motion may be transmitted from the line-space lever to a ratchet wheel on the outer end of the right-hand sectionby means of a link, connected at one end to the lever and at the other end to an arm swingable about the platen axle between the ratchet wheel and the end of the platen frame, and a pawl on said arm adapted to co-operate with the ratchet wheel, the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet wheel being controlledby a shield overlying the ratchet wheel. Provision may also be made of a stop to limit the movement of the line-space lever to the right and to enable the platen to be shifted to the right in the usual manner after linespacing.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure I is a top view of a platen frame with my invention applied thereto.

Figur 2 is a view showing the divided platen and means for supporting the same,

Figure 4 is a sectional end view of the structure. as shown in Figure 1, the section being taken just inside the right-hand end of the platen frame.

.The platen 1 is formed in two sections 2 and 3, respectively, and. is provided with a platen axle 4, revolubly supported in plates at the ends of the platen frame 6? Each of the platen-sections 2 and 3 includes a hollow core 7 covered by a rubber coating 8.

At its left-hand end the platen-section 2 provided with a head 14 fitting in the end' of the hollow core and provided with a flange 15, which is fastened to the core by means of screws 16. The head 14 does not engage the platen axle 4, and is supported by means to be described hereinafter.

In order to rotate the platen-section 2 by means of the platen axle 4, the usual ratchet wheel 17 is fixed on the platen axle at the outer end of the bushing 13, and a fingerwheel18 is fixed on said platen axle outside of the ratchet wheel 17 by means of 'a screw 19. l

The right-hand section 3 is supported at its outer end by a head 20 fitting in the end of the hollow core and provided with, a flange 21 to engage the outer end of the core,

1 the head 20 being fixed on a sleeve 22, which fits on a reduced portion 23 of the platen axle 4. Said sleeve 22 has the same outside diameter as the main part of the platen axle 4, and is rotatably supported in a bush ing. 24 projecting from the right-hand plate By thus reducing the end of the platen axl and using a sleeve 22 of the outside diameter specified, the usual end plates may be used without change. Outside the said bushing 24a finger-wheel '25 is secured on said sleeve 22 by means of a screw 26. At its inner end the platen-section 3 is provided with a head 27 fitting into the end of the hollow core and having a flange 28 engaging the inner end of the hollow core. In order to hold the heads 20 and 27 firmly in position on "the hollow core of the platensection 3, provision is made of tie-rods 29, preferably three in number, passed through openings in the head 20 and openings in the hollow core and screwed into threaded holes in the flange 28 of the head '27. It will be seen that by this arrangement the heads 20 and 27 will be held firmly in position on the ends of the hollow core of the platen section 3. Projecting to the left from the. head 27 is a tubular flange portion 30,'which fits into an opening in the'right-hand head of the platen-section 2 and serves to support the same. In order that the inner head 27 of the right-hand section .3, and consequently the inner head of the platen-section 2, may be firmly supported without putting unnecessary strain on the weak platen axle 4, provision is made of a tubular shaft 31 of greater internal diameter than the external diameter of the platen axle 4, secured at its right-hand end in the tubular flange portion 30, and rotatably supported near the left-hand plate 5 by means of a ring 32 fixed in the end of said tubular shaft 31, and ro tatable on the platen axle 4.

When it is desired to line-space the platensection 2, a line-space-lever 33 is swung to the right about its pivot 34 until it is brought into contact'with a stop 35, wheremachine to'the right in the usual manner. In such movements to the right, the linespace lever 33 moves a slide 36 against the resistance of its spring 37, and, by means of a pawl 38, actuates the ratchet wheel 17, the extent of actuation of the ratchet wheel being determinedby the usual regulator lever 39. The-line-space mechanism just described is, in general, the same as that dis- 'upon the platen maybe moved across the j closed in the patent to Hart, No. 1,281,160,

dated October 8. 1918.

In providing line-spacing mechanism for the right-hand platen-section 3, it is desirable to provide mechanism which can be applied to a platen frame of the standard form, without any material changes in the Y latter. To this end the right-hand linespace-lever 40 is pivotally mounted on' a shoulder-screw 41 fixed in the bracket 42, which is secured to the platen frame by means of screws 43 and 44. In order to hold the lever 40 in normal position, provision is made of a spring 45, connected at one end to the bracket 42, and'at the other end to said. line-space lever 40. Upon movement of said lever 40 to the right, a link 46 connected therewith will cause an arm 47 to beswung about the platen axle, thereby caus ing a pawl 48 to ride ofi' ashield 49 and to engage and actuate the ratchet wheel 50, secured to the right-hand end of platensection 3 by suitable means, such as one or more screws 51. To insure proper engagement of said .pawl 48 with the ratchet Wheel 50, provision may be made of a spring 48 (Figure 4). In order to maintain the ratchet wheel in any position in which it has been carried by pawl 48, provision may be made of a detent-roll 52, carried by an arm 53, which is mounted on a pivot 54 and urged towards the ratchet wheel 50 by means of a spring 55 bent around said pivot 54 and engaging the arm 53 at one end and a pin 56 on the platen frame by its other end. It will be seen that'the shield 49, the pivot 54 and the pin 56 are mounted on "the inner side of the adjacent end of the platen frame.

Movement of the line-space lever 40 to the right with reference to the platen frame 6 1. In a typewriting machine, in combina- 1 tion, a platen axle, a platen-section comprising a hollow c( e, headstherefor, and tie-rods connecting said heads, one of'said heads being adjacent to one end of said axle and supported thereon, a sleeve connected at one end with and extendin from theother head of said section to a polnt adjacent the other end of said axle, said sleeve sur-. rounding said axle but spaced therefrom, a ring near the free end of said sleeve serving to support the same on said axle, and a second platen-section supported at one end on said axle beyond the. end of said sleeve, and

at the other on the head of the first platensection to which said sleeve is connected. 2. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen axle journaled at its ends, a hollow platen-section comprisin heads, the outer one being mounted on said axle near one of its ends, and the inner one having a central opening through which the axle passes without contact, a sleeve of greater internal diameter than the external diameter ot-said axle, attached to the'inner head of said platen-section, said sleevebeing rota.- tably mounted on said axle near its other end, and a second hollow platen-section receiving said sleeve without contact therewith and having its outer end fixed on said axle beyond the end of said sleeve andits inner end rot'atably supported on the inner end of the first platen-section.

3. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen 'axle journaled at its ends, a platen-section comprising heads, the outer one of whicht-is mounted for rotation about said axle, the inner head having a tubular flange projectinggtherefrom, and tie-rods connectijg said h'eads,"a sleeve of greater internal diameter than the external diameter of said axle fitted into said tubular flange and secured thereto, the other end of said sleeve being rotatably supported on said 'platen axle near its other end, and a second' platen-section having its outer head fixed on said axle beyond the end of said sleeve and its inner head revolubly supported on said tubular. flange."

4. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen axle journaled at its ends, and

two platen-sections placed end to end thereon, one of said sections comprising a core,

a head at its outer end rotatableon saidaxle near one of its ends, a head at its inner end having a tubular flange projecting outwardly therefrom, and a tubular member fixed in said flange and extending to a point adjacent the outer end-of the other platensection, said tubular member being rotatably mounted on said axle at its outer end, the second platen-section comprising a head at its outer end fixed on said axle, and ahead at its inner end adapted to fit over said flange so as to be supported thereby.

tion, a platen .axle journaled at its ends, and

5. In a typewriting machine, in combinatwo platen-sections placed end to end thereon, one of said sections comprising a core,

a head at its outer endrotatable about said axle near one of its ends, a head at its inner end having a tubular flange projecting outwardly therefrom, tie-rods connecting said heads, a tubular member fixed in said flange and extending to'a point adjacent the outer end of the platen-section, said tubular member beingrotatably mounted on said axle at that point, the other platen-section comprismg a head at its outerend fixed on said axle, and a head at its inner end adapted to fit over said flange and be supported thereby.

6, In. a typewriting machine, in combination, an axle journaled at its ends, two platen-sections placed ,end to end thereon, one of said platen-sections comprising a body, a head at its outer end-revoluble on said axle, a head at its inner end spaced from said axle, and means'extending from head to head of said "section to hold said heads firmly in place, the second platen-section.

having its inner end supported on the inner headof said first-mentioned section, and a device attached at one end to the inner head of the firstmentioned platen-section and rotatably mounted on said axle adjacent the outer end of the second section, whereby the burden of supporting the inner ends of said platen-sections will be thrown on said axle near its ends. I

' .7. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a divided platen comprising two sections placed end to end, a platen axle, a platen 'frame, one of said sections comprising a hollow core, heads having on their inner faces circular flanges fitting into said core, and tie-rods extending through said core from head to head, to hold said heads in fixed spacial relationship, and a tubular shaft secured at one end in the inner end of platen frame.

8. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen-axle and a divided platen end to end of the core and co-operating with J said heads to hold them in position thereon, and a rigid structure spaced from the axle and extending from the inner head of the first section to a pointnear the other end of the axle where it has a bearing connection'with the axle; and the second of said sections being mounted on said axle outside of said bearing connection and connected at its inner head with the inner head of the first section in such a manner as to permit relative rotation. I

9. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen-axle and a divided platen comprising two sections, end to end, the first of said sections comprising ahollow core, heads having on their inner faces provisions whereby, when held against the ends of the core, they will be held against movement transverse of the axle, the outer head being mounted on said axle and the 'innerhead having a central opening of such size that the axle may pass therethrough without conact therewith, means extending from end to end of the core and co-operating with said heads to hold them in position thereon, and a rigid structure spaced from the axle and extending from the inner head of the section to a point near the other end of the axle where it has a bearing connection with the axle; and the second section comprising a hollow core of sufficient size to receive said rigid structure, without contact therewith, an inner head shaped to co-operate with the inner head of the first section to be rotatably supported thereby, and'an outer head mounttherefrom and having provisions whereby one of said inner heads will support the other but permit relative rotation, arigid support projecting from the supporting head to a point near the outer head of the supported section, and bearing provisions whereby said rigid support will, at its free end,

he supported on the'axle, the rigid support and the supporting section co-operating to span the axle between points near the platensupporting frame.

11. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen axle, a platen frame providing bearings for the axle near its ends, a divided platen comprising a section extending part way across the axle and having one end supported directly on the axle, and a rigid support for rotatably supporting the inner end of the platen-section, said rigid support being mounted on the axle and spanning the axle between points near the respective axle bearings.

JOHN E. DOODY. Witnesses:

J. F. PAINTS, F. BoHNE. 

